Machine for hoisting, conveying, or excavating.



PATENTED MAY 12, 190 3' F.E.P0 TTER.

MACHINE FOR HOISTING', CONVEYING, 0R EXGAVATING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4; 1902.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

JNVENTOR:

ATfOR/VEI PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

F.E.POTTER. MACHINE FOR HOISTING, CONVEYING, OREXGAVATING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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ATTOR/VEK No. 727,836. PATENTED MAY,12, 1903.

F. E. POTTER. I

MACHINE FOR HO'ISTING, CONVEYING, 0R EXGAVATING.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. 1 1 2* w v N0 MODEL.

1V) T NE SSE S l/VVEzVTOR:

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m: Norms PEYERS co. Pnowoumc WASHINGTON, u, c,

NITED S f Patented Ma 12, 1903.

PATENT FFICE.

FRANK POTTER, DIANAPOLIS, INDIAlTA.

MACHINE FORHOISTING, CONV'E;YlNG, -OR EXCAVATING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Later-s; Patent No. 727,836, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed June 4, 1902. Serial N70. 110,146. (No model.)

T0 at whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKE. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indiancompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines and ap-:

paratus that may be employed in a variety of excavating and conveying operations, including hoisting; and it has reference more particularly to traveling cars by which such vertical sectional view of the cable grip or operations may be carried on.

The objects of the invention are to provide I a light-weight and strong car .for use upon the ground that maybe adapted alsoforuse upon trestles, for ditch or trench work generally, whereby to either plow, hoist, or convey and which may be adapted to, support and carry its motive power, as well as adapted to be operated by isolated power transmitted by means of cables or otherwise, and to provide a car capable of hoisting at either end thereof clear of the framework and that also may be employed to'drag, hoist, and; v

figures of the drawings indicate correspond,-

carry a scoop in trenchwork', and-acar having a plurality of lifting-cables, either one of which may be operated independently of the others.

Another object is to provide afolding-fraine car or convertible surface or trestle car that may be quickly transformed from either one type of car to a car of the other type.

My invention consists, principally and essentially, in a car the frame of which is substantially A shape, as 1 term it in the interest of brevity, for surface operation, the frame in side elevation resembling, in fact, the letter A in more or less modified form and so constructed in order to carry out the desired objects above-mentioned to the best advantage.

The invention also consists in certain novel features of construction whereby such surface car may be readily converted into a trestie-car; and it consists, further, in the parts and in the combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter particularly described 7 and claimed.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation View of a machine constructed substantially in accord with myinvention, portions of which, however, are omitted and shown in other'figures, this figure showing one ofthe types of power apparatus in fragmentary views with which my invention is adapted to operate; Fig. 2, a top plan View of the machinesas'shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side elevationview of the,machine transformed as an elevated car and mounted upon a trestle, the opposite side to that in Fig. 1 being here shown and illustrating two buckets as operated independently; Fig. 4, an end elevation view of the surface car; Fig. 5, a

lock, .taken transversely of the openings through which the cables extend; Fig. 6, a vertical sectional view of the cable-grip, taken on theline a? 00 in Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a side elevation view of the surface car having the improvements thereon omitted in other figures for the sake of clearuess in illustration and showing the manner in which plowing and scooping may be accomplished, and Fig. 8 an end elevation of the machine as shown in Fig. 7. Similar reference characters in the several ing'jparts throughout.

;-In practically carrying out my invention themachine and apparatus may be provided complete, so as to cover a wide range of work, or'minor parts may be omitted, if desired, according to the character of the particular work the machine may be wanted to accomplish.

In constructing the complete machine and apparatus an engine and a tail-block and. a trestle may be included, together with cables and buckets and scoops or plows, &c., and as the car is designed to be compact andadapted to carry its motor a suitable motor or power engine may be designed and applied thereto. In the present case for the purpose of this description it will be understood that the car is operatedand the various operations performed by means of apower-engine mounted on a separate car, a tail-block on wheels, and connecting-cables, the engine having two drums capable of independent operation and adapted to also run loose on their shafts in connection with suitable brakes.

The traveling car embraces in construction a pair of parallel horizontal main members A A, upon which are secured four upright members B B B B and upon these are a pair of horizontal longitudinal members G O and a pair of transverse members D D. A pair of transverse members E E connect the members A A, preferably at the under side thereof. Suitable diagonal braces, as a a, are attached to the members A A and E E. Usually corner-braces b are attached to the members B B and C and also to the corresponding members at the opposite side of the car; also, braces 12 may be attached to the members A and B B and the corresponding members at the opposite side. Braces e are also usually employed under the members D D. The above substantially completes the car-frame proper, which is provided with suitable legs, properly parts of the A-frame car, but which may be adapted to be converted into parts of the frame proper of the elevated car, and for the purposes of convertibility the members A A are provided with boltholes ff near their longitudinal centers or about midway between the upright members thereon, and the upright members B B B 13 have like bolt-holes g g near their upper ends, the holes being horizontally and transversely disposed relative to the car.

The legs, as I term them, comprise obliquelydisposed members F F F F attached in pairs near their central portions to the end portions 1 of the members A A, preferably by means of pivot-bolts h and otherwise, if desired, the upper ends 4 of the legs being attached by bolts 5 in the holes 9 g to the upright members, as B and the like. Each leg may be a single piece of metal or wood, but preferably has a companion piece 3 connected thereto, a piece at either side of the members to which they are attached. The legs and the upright members to which they are attached may be more or less spread apart, and the lower ends of the legs at a side of the car are spread apart more than are their upper ends, somewhat as the limbs of the letter A. The lower ends of the legs are provided at their under or opposing sides with track or flanged wheels 2'.

A suitable boom or arm is mounted upon the top of the car-frame longitudinally thereof and preferably comprises parallel horizontal members G G, secured to the members D D, and transverse members j, attached to the members G G. The boom or arm is provided with sheaves H H on shafts 70, at or near the ends thereof, at a considerable distance apart, the boom or arm being somewhat long, so as to support loads at distances from the car-frame sufficient to aiford ample clearance for the bucket or other load.

The car is provided with a cable grip or look I or two similar grips, preferably supported by and attached to the boom or arm, and will be further described hereinafter.

When transforming the car, the bolts 5 may be removed from the holes 9 g, and then the legs may be moved radially in Vertical planes about the pivots 7t until parallel with the members A A, when bolts 6 may be inserted through the legs and the holes ff, securing the ends 4. to the members A A, the ends having the wheels then extending longitudinally from the car-frame proper and the legs now becoming properly parts of the car-frame, with the wheels '6 underneath the same. Plates 2 are bolted to the ends 1 and bear upon the leg members.

Rails Z are employed upon which to operate the surface car and also the power-car J and the tail-block K, the car J having flanged wheels 7 and the tail-block having like wheels 8, either single or double flanged.

The power-car has drums p and q, suitably driven. A cable L is attached to the drum q and extends above the car to a sheave r, mounted on the tail-block and about the sheave, as cable L, through the grip I to and over the sheave H, and thence downwardly, and may be attached to a bucket N, or as a free end L it may be employed in various ways. A cable M is attached to the drum 2) and extends as a cable M through the grip I to and over the sheave H and thence downwardly, and may have a bucket N attached thereto, or this cable may be employed in various other ways which will be apparent in the light of further description hereinafter.

When the car is converted into an elevated car, a suitable traveling trestle 0, having track-wheels to running on the rails l, is employed, the trestle having railsjv, upon which the wheels 2' run, as will be understood.

The cable-grip shown isdesigned to grip or look both cables extending therethrough simultaneously, and it will be obvious that it may be adapted to grip either cable independently, or two similar or other suitable forms of grips or looks may be employed, one for each cable. As shown, the grip comprises a housing having a base to and also a chamber 9, in which is journaled a taper mandrel P,having a stem m and a lever n. The smaller end 10 of the mandrel has a screw-thread operating with a similar thread in the housing. Upon the mandrel is afdie Q, suitably guided and having one or more grooves in its top. A cap 11 is attached to the housing, and its under side has one or more grooves, so that a groove in the cap and a groove in the die together provide a substantially circular opening y, through which the cable may extend, the housing having correspondingopenings.

In some cases, particularly the surface car, a housing 12 is secured to the members E E, to either or both, in which guide-sheaves R or S are mounted, so that if the end L is operated under the car it may run against the sheave S, as indicated by dotted lines 13, Fig.

7, and also the cable M or its end portion M may be run in contact with the sheave R, and also sheaves T and U are mounted in suitable housings Y, supported by members W, attached to the legs and extending transversely of the car. The members W, with the sheaves T and U, may be readily removed when the car is used upon a trestle, while the sheaves R and S may remain attached. It will be seen that the cable M, extending from the sheave H as the cable M may run in contact with the sheave T, the cable end M leading thence to a scoop-bucket V or to a plow, and this bucket (or scoop) may have a loop form of handle 14 attached to the bottom portion thereof for manually guiding its operations and also adapted to be engaged by a hook at the end of the cable portion L the latter running in contact with the sheave U, and thus the bucket V may be hoisted by both cables together, if desired, and so may other objects be raised and conveyed.

Should the drums p and g be situated be low the plane of the top of the car too low to hold the slack of the cables from the car, elevated sheaves s and t, one for each cable, are mounted upon the power-car frame for bolding up the cables, as is usually done.

It will be obvious that in constructing the car-legs suitable spacing-blocks may be secured between the two members thereof when so formed, and various minor modifications in the details of construction may be made within the scope of my invention; also, elongated rollers may be substituted as equivalents for the sheaves.

.In practical use the machine when set up as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 will be adapted for hoisting the earth from trenches and con' veying and dumping the same again on the finished part of the work, as upon a sewer structure. The power-car J and the tailblock K are to be anchored as usual, and the traveling hoisting and conveying car'is to work between them. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that if both hoisting-drums are released the buckets N N will descend by the force of gravity, or if the brake be applied to one drum the other may operate alone. When hoisting, either bucket may be raised," or both may be hoisted together by operating both drums, and when both buckets are hoisted together it will be seen that the strains will be exerted in opposite directions and not tend to move the hoisting-car, the cables slipping freely through the grip. The load or loads having been hoisted, the grip may be operated, and will thus lock the car to the cables, after which either drum may be operated while the other drum is released, and since both cables are gripped it will be apparent that the cable parts L and M will be virtually clamped together and the loads be supported thereby independently of the power-drums. If now the drum 1) be'operated, the traveling car will be drawn toward the power-car, and if thedrum g be operated the car will be drawn in the opposite direction. The elevated car on the trestle obviously will be operated also,as above described.

The illustrations in-Figs. 7 and 8 will suggest various useful em ployments for the machine-such as plowing, scooping, dragging,

timbers and pipes, and-also hoisting beneath the car. It will be understood that when one drum and cable are operated in drawing the car the other drum and cable will run loose or, at least, all that part of the cable between V the drum and the grip.- Other movements, as in dumping, will-beunderstood from the foregoing description.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is-, V

1. A traveling car for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, including two pairs of'leg members having carrying-wheels, each pair of leg members disposed obliquely,main members forming the bases of a complete frame structure and secured to the middle portions,

of the leg members so that the leg members and the main members together resemble letters A, a frame structure'erected upon the main members and secured to the upper portions of the leg members, and a boom or arm mounted upon the frame structure.

2. A machine for hoisting, conveying or for excavating,.including a traveling car com prising two pairsof legs, each'pair converging upwardly and mounted on wheels, a self-contained frame having main members extending outwardly therefrom and attached to the legs, a boom or arm mounted upon the frame, and a sheave supported by the boom or arm.

3. A machine for hoisting, conveyingorfor excavating, including a car comprising two pairs of legs, each-pair converging upwardly and mounted on wheels,.a"frame attached to the legs, a boom or arm attached to the frame,

a plurality of sheaves mounted on the boom,

a grip or look attached operatively to the frame, and cables extending through the grip and over the sheaves.

4. A machine for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, including a traveling carha-ving an upper sheave, a lower sheave a cable ex: tending from a source of power over the upper sheave and under the lower sheave in contact therewith, a grip or look connected with the.

car and coacting with the cab1e,.and means I whereby the car may be operated.

- 5. A traveling car for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, comprising a self-contained frame having vertical portions and also main members extending outwardly from the vertical portion thereof, andtwo pairs of legs,

each pair converging upwardly and secured' to themain members beyond the vertical portion of the frame, the legs being adapted to be moved to horizontal positions and'support the frame, and flanged :wheels operatively connected with the legs, whereby the structuremay be converted .into a relatively .low

car.

6. A traveling car for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, comprising two pairs of legs, each pair converging upwardly and mounted on wheels, a frame attached to the legs and having a transverse member at the bottom thereof, a boom or arm mounted on the frame, a sheave mounted on the boom or arm, a sheave supported by the transverse member beneath the frame, and a cable extending over the sheave on the boom and under the sheave supported by the transverse member.

7. A machine for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, including a car-frame having legs attached thereto and adapted to be moved or folded so as to form parts of the car-frame proper, carrying wheels connected operatively with the legs, a boom supported by the frame, upper sheaves supported by the boom, lower sheaves supported by means of the legs, lower sheaves supported below the carframe between the legs, independently-operated power-drums, a tail-sheave, a cable connected to one of the drums and leading over the tail-sheave to one of the upper sheaves over the car, a cable connected to the other one of the drums and leading over the car to another one of the upper sheaves, either one or both of the cables extending under one of the lower sheaves, and a grip or look mounted upon the car and adapted to operate either simultaneously or independently upon the two cables.

8. A convertible car of the character described comprising longitudinal horizontal members, upright members on the horizontal members, horizontal longitudinal and also transverse members upon the upright members, obliquely-disposed legs pivoted to the longitudinal horizontal members and provided with carrying-wheels, means whereby the legs may be fixed relatively to either the upright members or to the members to which they are pivoted, lower transverse members attached to the longitudinal horizontal members, a boom attached to the top of the car, and sheaves supported by the boom.

9. A convertible traveling car for hoisting, conveying, or for excavating, comprising longitudinal horizontal main members, frame members secured rigidly together and connected with the main members near the central portions thereof, movable legs secured to the main members beyond the frame members, means whereby the upper portions of the legs may be secured removably either to the main members or to the frame members, and flanged wheels connected with the lower ends of the legs.

10. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination with trackrails and a power-engine and a tail-block sheave, of a traveling car comprising a frame proper, two pairs of legs, a pair at either side of the frame proper extending therefrom toward a rail, carrying-wheels mounted on the rails and supporting the legs, a boom or arm mounted on the frame proper, sheaves mounted on the boom or arm, cables extending over the sheaves at opposite sides of the frame proper, buckets attached to the cables, a cable connected with the power-engine and extending over the tail-block sheave to the car, a cable connected with the power-engine and extending directly to the car, whereby the buckets may be elevated and the car held in balance, and means whereby the cables connected with the power-engine may be locked to the car.

11. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination with trackrails and a powerengine and a tail-block, of a traveling car comprising a frame proper, two pairs of legs, a pair at either side of the frame proper extending divergently from the frame proper toward a rail, carrying-wheels mounted on the rails and supporting the legs, a boom or arm mounted on the frame proper, sheaves mounted on the boom, a cable extending from the power-engine to the tailblock and thence over the sheave nearest to the power-engine, cable extending from the power-engine over-the sheave farthest from the power-engine, and gripping or locking means whereby the car may be operatively attached to either one or both of the cables.

12. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination of a traveling car, sheaves mounted at opposite ends of the car, a power-engine isolated from one end of the car, atail-sheave isolated from the opposite end of the car, a cable connected with the power-engine extending about the tailsheave to and over the sheave at the opposite end of the car from the tail-sheave, a cable connected with the power-engine and extending over the sheave at the opposite end of the car therefrom, and gripping means coacting with the car and the cables whereby the car may be locked to the cables.

13. In a machine for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination of a car comprising a frame proper having lower horizontal main members extending forwardly and rearwardly beyond the body of the frame proper, and legs secured to the horizontal main members near the extremities thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, with a boom or arm mounted upon the frame proper, and a sheave mounted on the boom or arm.

14:. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination of a carframe provided with movable legs attached thereto and adapted to be moved or folded so as to form parts of the car-frame proper, carrying-wheels connected operatively with the legs, a boom or arm supported by the carframe, upper sheaves supported by the boom, and operating cables extending over the sheaves and substantially between pairs of the carrying-wheels near the axes thereof.

15. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination of a carframe having legs attached thereto and ex- IIC tending forwardly and rearwardly therefrom,

carrying-wheels connected operatively with the legs, a boom or arm supported by the frame, an upper sheave supported by the boom or arm, a beam or support attached to a pair of the legs, a lower sheave supported by the beam or support, and an operating-cable extending over the upper sheave and under the lower sheave.

16. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination of a carframe having transverse members at the bottom thereof and provided with legs secured thereto remotely from the transverse members, carrying-wheels connected operatively with the legs, a boom or arm supported by the frame, an upper'sheave supported by the boom or arm, a guide-sheave supported by one of the transverse members, and an operating-cable extending over the upper sheave and under the guide-sheave.

17. In machines for hoisting, conveying or for excavating, the combination of a carframe, carrying-wheels, a boom or arm mounted on the frame, a sheave mounted on the boom or arm, an operating-drum, a cable extending from the operating-drum over the sheave, and a grip or lock supported by the frame and guiding the cable and adapted to lock the cable to the car-frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. POTTER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE J. 000K, JAMES D. MOGAULY. 

